Ten restaurants proving that vegetarian and vegan cooking isn’t just a phase

The seeds of Matthew Nutter’s fine dining adventure were sown when he set out to “make veg taste better than steak”. And the menu at The Allotment Vegan Eatery exceeds this ambition.

Owners, Harry and Jessica created Banh Vi after travelling across South East Asia and being inspired by the cuisine offered by street food vendors in Thailand and Vietnam.  

Bhaji Pala is a vegan restaurant, bringing customers the food of Western India. The Indian subcontinent has a long tradition of vegetarian food, vegan not so much. But who needs paneer when you’ve got tandoori pineapple?

The restaurant bills itself as the only purely vegan Indian restaurant in Greater Manchester, which could account for the crowds. Booking is most definitely advised.

A real Northern success story, the second location for Bundobust in Manchester and the fourth in the family of northern-based restaurants (Manchester Piccadilly, Leeds and Liverpool have come before), the Bundobust Brewery is a welcome addition to Oxford Street at the southern part of the city.

With a menu that mirrors its sister restaurants, the food is a reliable selection of Indian-style vegetarian small plates. Expect to find crisp okra fries dusted with black salt and mango powder and the iconic vada pav – a deep-fried mashed potato ball in a bun, with red and green chutneys.

Fresh from the roaring success of its first venue down at Hatch on Oxford Road in Manchester, Herbivorous opened its first self-made restaurant in Withington in October 2021. Co-founders Robyn and Damien have been cooking together since they first started dating so the passion for the food they create runs deep.

Lily’s Indian Vegetarian Cuisine is an unassuming restaurant in Ashton-under-Lyne that happens to serve some of the best South Indian food in the UK.

Sanskruti Withington is well-known in the area for its vegan and vegetarian cuisine which takes in Gujurati thalis, South Indian dosas, Mumbai chaat and the rich curries of Punjab.

Local hit Vegan Shack started life in owner Dimeji Sadiq’s one bedroom Salford flat where he used to cook up plant-based versions of fast food for himself and his girlfriend.